FREE flu shots in Newport News and Hampton

Health District dispensing vaccine at no cost

Free flu shots are now available at the Peninsula Health District in Newport News and at the Hampton Health Department as the state enters its fifth week of "widespread" seasonal flu activity. "We just want to remove any barriers that may be stopping people from getting the shot," said Dr. Nzinga Teule-Hekima, health director. "The no cost was pretty important to me."

The flu vaccine, considered the best protection against the seasonal virus, is recommended for everyone over the age of six months, including pregnant women. At the beginning of the season, the Newport News vaccination clinic was immunizing between 50 and 75 people a week, Teule-Hekima said, but that number dropped to between 30 and 35 in November and December, despite heightened awareness efforts.

"We're hoping those numbers will pick right back up," she said, as the number of reported flu cases have risen in the area. "We're definitely seeing upward trends. It's pretty much what we see every year."

In addition, other basic preventative measures that help prevent the transmission of influenza include frequent hand-washing, disinfection of common surfaces, covering the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing/sneezing, or using the inside of the elbow and not the hands, and sick people avoiding contact with others. Local health facilities are also urging visitors to don masks at their entrances to help curb the spread.

The Health Department urges that anyone developing a flu-like illness, especially those who are at high risk of complications, should seek medical care promptly to determine if treatment with influenza antiviral medications is warranted. If administered soon enough, antiviral medications can potentially shorten the course of the illness and reduce the incidence of complications.

Teule-Hekima has not put any limit on when the number of free vaccines. "We're waiting to see. There are no limits on it," she said.